Mother's Day 2013

To celebrate Mother's Day and to give my daughter Katie a much needed break, I took Henry and Peter with me this morning for a few hours. While we were in Posie Peddler buying flowers for Katie, who walked in behind us but Bill, Katie's husband, ready to pick up an arrangement of yellow roses that made our purchase look pretty meager! Henry and Peter had already chosen tiny spray roses for their bouquet - Henry chose orange and Peter yellow. Orange is Henry's favorite color and if you ask Pete the color of anything, he says "yellow" even if he means green, red, or blue. So, to those roses we added some pretty babies' breath, lacy greens, and my addition of black-eyed Susans. We also chose flowers for Grammy Eddy, the boys' great-grandmother. After we left the flower shop, we visited Grammy for an hour or so and had a lovely visit. The boys' cousins Hannah and Katie were visiting as well, and it was so nice to sit and catch up with this amazing woman who raised six sons and has always been the best mother-in-law and Grammy anyone could ever ask for (right alongside my own Mom, of course!).

I then loaded the boys back into the Jeep and we headed to McDonalds because I had promised them a Happy Meal and time at the playground (right in the McDonalds). Lunch was barely eaten (I had one of those new grilled chicken wraps, sweet chili, and it was really good!), milk was spilled, and the boys were reluctantly extracted from the playground so we could go to the grocery store and finally head home. It all seemed to go pretty quickly but it was a good three hours out of the house, and I consider that my gift to Katie for Mother's Day! To hear Pete, when he got out of the car at home, yell with such excitement and pride to his mother "I bought you flowers!" just made my day. Such cute little guys, my grandsons! (she says humbly!)...

Henry's Mother's Day card for Katie, and the trivett he made at pre-K.
He calls it "abstract art!"

Now that we're home, I am making Apple Pie Bars (encore from last week's blog recipe) because no one had any last time -- they were all designated for the wedding and all I could do was tease my family with the possibility!  So, for Mother's Day dessert, apple pie bars are in the oven. Pete's taking a nap, Henry's helping his parents get the garden prepared (though all I've seen him do is go a little crazy with the hose, aimed at the chickens!).  I'm here in my upstairs apartment, like a bird on a perch, enjoying the busy-ness outside as the aroma of apples, spices, and a buttery crust wafts through my kitchen. My son-in-law Bill has ordered take-out from a great Italian restaurant in Ballston Spa, Augie's, because he said no mother should have to cook today. Well, I didn't have to cook, but I was inspired to bake, and I still have a little kitchen duty, but I don't mind a bit!

It's Mother's Day, and life is good!

and my wish for the day: